Stanley Ntshangase

Name: Stanley Ntshangase.

District: Steyndorp, Gert Sibande District, Mpumalanga.

Produce: Cabbages, peanuts, sweet potatoes and green maize.

2018

Background:

The business started operating in 2018 by growing green maize, and is classified under the primary Agriculture Sector. He has two hectares of arable land available for farming, and produces mainly cabbages, peanuts, sweet potatoes and green maize.

All produce is sold for fresh consumption to various consumers and buyers, but mainly to the local hawkers. Stanley planted 8000 cabbages on 0,5 hectares, and followed it up with an additional production cycle of a similar size, totaling to16 000 cabbages on one hectare.

In addition to this, he has also planted sweet potatoes on 0,5hectares and will plant maize in August 2023.

The challenges experienced:

• PRODUCTION: The main challenge is the lack of technical knowledge when it comes to soil preparation. If the soil is not properly prepared, this results in poor crop yields as the nutrients uptake is poor.

• MARKET ACCESS: Stanley is challenged when it comes to setting the price for his produce. He sells mainly to the informal market and he faces a barrier when it comes to accessing the formal markets.

• FINANCIAL SUPPORT: Stanley struggled to get loan financing from commercial banks as he could not provide the banks with any off-take agreements. There was also little to no record keeping taking place, as well as no production records or sales targets that were set beforehand to measure performance.

Intervention / Solution:

• PRODUCTION: Since becoming part of Timbali, Stanley has been allocated with well experienced field technicians called PSF Officers. They make frequent visits to the farm to ensure maximum production and provide daily recommendations/solutions to all issues observed in the field at a production level. Timbali provided training and operations and procedures manuals to the tractor operators to ensure proper land preparation. Private tractor contractors were sourced by Timbali to assist Stanley with getting quality land preparations done on his farm.

• MARKET ACCESS: On a monthly basis Timbali hosts Market Access Workshops where buyers meet the sellers, as well as to train the farmers about proper market access, and the skills required to supply the market. Timbali managed to source growing programs from four lucrative markets, to which Stanley is currently supplying to.

• FINANCIAL SUPPORT: To improve the quality of his produce, Timbali facilitated loan financing through its collaboration with Standard Bank South Africa. Stanley received a loan to the value of R48 574, at 0% interest and zero initiation fees. Since there was no form of record keeping taking place, Timbali provided Stanley with templates for his future record keeping.

Stanley was also provided with a cashflow and weekly sales targets to track his progress. Stanley performed very well in this production season and generated a turnover of R110 206 in just three weeks, allowing him to repay his loan in full within these three weeks of production.

Outcome / Results:

Stanley struggled to make a profit previously as he was selling his produce to the local market at a very low cost. He has also struggled to get into the formal market.

Stanley has now attracted the formal market and has developed a good and strong relationship with Spar as a result of his good quality. Timbali has also introduced Stanley to Hello Choice for the supply of sweet potatoes.